Method of and means for coating articles



Jan. 15, 1935. A. s. JOHNSON METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR COATING ARTICLES 3 Sheet s-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 18, 1931 Jan" 15, 935. A. s JOHNSON METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR COATING ARTICLES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 18, 1951 Jan. 15, 3935. A. s. JOHNSGN METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR COATING ARTICLES Filed 06. 18, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 fivvavraq QAUM cQMraJe-h Patented Jan. 15, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR COATING ARTICLES Arthur S. Johnson, Beverly, Mesa, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 18, 1931, Serial No. 581,911

4: claims. (Cl. 91,-39)

This invention relates to the application to advantageous arrangement of said fibers already various articles of coating substances, it having pointed out. The members are preferably yieldespecial utility in connection with the coating of ably actuated, and may be caused to operate upon such shoe-parts as soles with an adhesive by the work for varying times. It should be observed which they are to be secured upon shoe-bottoms. that, in all phases of the invention, the use of two 5 For work of this character, the surfaces which applying members is not essential. In the illusare to be attached to each other may be first trated embodiment of the apparatus, inner and roughened so the fibers of the leather are loosouter brushes are employed, carried by tubular ened and caused to project, to permit the adheshafts or spindles, the adhesive being supplied sive, which may b yroxylin, to enter the subthrough the central shaft under the control of a 10 stance of the articles and produce a firm union. v v -hi I a i n to means f r ta in the It is an object of this invention to promote this Shafts pp sitely. a lever-system is provided for reception of the adhesive by the coated surfaces e p oc them in pp directions. t s sy and to cause an arrangement of the fibers which tem including yieldable and adjustable conneci5 will increase the integrity of the connections betions- The v m t f he applying member or tween t parts t th same t facilitating th members and the supply of the adhesive through coating operation. the valve-tube may be controlled simultaneously,

With this object in view, a feature of t invenso adhesive will be delivered to the surface to be tion may be f und in a method of applying tcoated only when there is means ready to distrib- .20 ing in which applying members, preferably u it.

brushes, are moved alternately in opposite direc- In the a panying drawings, which illustrate tions in contact with a surface to be coated. Dorticlllar embodiment f h i v ti n, These members may be rotatable and located one Fi 1 h ws my improved coating apparatus in within another, so they act over concentric sur- Side elevation;

faces, the adhesive or other coating substance be- FigrZ'isasimiIar view upon a larger scale of the 25 ing conveniently supplied axially of the members. upper portion of the app with parts in During the application of the substance, the apn; plying members and the work preferably travel Fig. 3 is a bro end-elevation of that Portion relatively to present an extended surface for the 0f the apparatus more lo e y co-operating with so coating. By operating upon the work-areas sucthe W rk; cessively in this manner, the coating may be La-broken top plan view of the apparatus; worked effectively into the surface-fibers without 5, 8 Partial v ti n looking from the an undue deposit at any point. I prefer, whether right in g. 4; there be one or more applying members which Fig. 6, a diagramm plan view illustrating rotate in their application of the coating, to the action of the Goa-ting m m ers upon a shoe- 35 simultaneously with such rotation move them into Solo; and v and out of contact with the work. Such acts, o enlarged ion through the coated performed upon surfaces from which project area of F g- 6- fibers cause the adhesive to be first worked into There appears n e drawings, especially in said fibers, which are th drawn ay from the Fig. 1, a standard l0, to the top of which is at- 40 urface Successivew t h t, t v l th positached a head 12 having extending from one side tioning them favorably to enter between and in- 8 l w r arm 14 and an overhanging arm 16, the terlock with the fibers upon the opposed surface l tter including lower and upper Portions 18 and of t t l t be j i d, 20, respectively. J ournaled vertically in the arm- As another feature of the invention, I furnish portion 18 is a tubular spindle or shaft 22, and 45 an apparatus by which my improvedmethod may rotatable within the shaft 22 and .in the armbe performed. Inthis,coating-applying members portion 20 is a tubular shaft 24. The shaft 22 are arranged adjacent to each other, and there is carries at its lower extremity an applying member means for moving said members in opposite direcfurnished by a brush 26 having its vertical fibers tions. The'movement may consist of rotation in arranged in annular form, while within this, 50

' contact with the surface of the work or reciproupon the shaft 24, is a brush 28 consisting of a cation into and out of engagement with the work, continuous cylindrical group of fibers, thetwo I or both. This leads to the effective distribution brushes being substantially coaxial. The fibers of the coating over the area operated upon, with of both brush-sections may be retained against its intimate association with the fibers and the excessive lateral displacement by a sleeve 29 55 threaded upon the exterior of the shaft 22 and thus adjustable along the brush 28 to different distances from the ends of the fibers. The yieldability of both brushes may be thus altered simultaneously. The shafts are rotated, preferably in opposite directions, by pulleys 30, 30, over which and over guide-pulleys 32, mounted to turn at the opposite side of the head 12, passes a belt 34 engaging also a pulley 36 upon a shaft 38 journaled horizontally in the lower portion of the head. Power is transmitted to the shaft 38 by belt-gearing 40 from a shaft 42 rotatable upon the standard, this shaft, in turn, being driven by belt-gearing 44 from a main shaft 48 journaled horizontally in the lower portion of the standard. The shaft 48 may be driven from some source of power through a pulley 50 and a clutch 52, the latter being controlled by a treadle 54 pivoted adjacent to the clutch-lever 56.

The shafts 22 and 24, in addition to their rotation, are simultaneously reciprocated to raise and lower the brushes oppositely to each other. Extending into a groove at the top of the shaft 22 is the forked end of a bell-crank-lever 60 fulcrumed upon the head and having 9. depending arm, from which projects laterally a pin 62 entering horizontal slots 64 in a yoke-end of an eccentric-rod 66 actuated by an eccentric 68 upon the shaft of the lower guide-roll 32. Projecting from recesses in the eccentric-rod are front and rear springs 70 and 72, respectively, contacting with the opposite sides of the lever 60. The spring 70 abuts at its outer extremity against a screw 74 threaded through the yoke of the eccentric-rod. By this the spring may be more or less compressed to vary its yieldability, or a clearance may be created which will introduce lost motion into the connections actuated by the eccentric 68. Upon movement of the eccentric-rod 66 to the right (Fig. 2), the lever 60 is caused to depress the shaft 22, for the purpose of bringing the brush 26 into contact with the work, the pressure being yieldably exerted because of the presence of the spring 70 in the connections. Opposite movement of the eccentric-rod elevates the brush 26 and lowers the shaft 24 to bring the brush 28 into contact with the work. The actuating connections between the lever 60 and the brush 28 are as follows: In the forwardly extending arm of the lever 60 is a substantially vertical slot 76, through which projects a pin 78 carried by a link 80. The upper extremity of the link is articulated to a lever 82 fulcrumed upon the head and having a forked forward end extending into a groove in the shaft 24. Below the lever 82, the link is yoked to receive a vertical contact-screw 84, against the end of which the under side of said lever 60 strikes. The position of this screw determines the time of action of the lever upon the link to raise the shaft 24 and the inner brush 28, independently of any change produced by the screw 74. The shaft 24 and brush 28 are lowered by contact of the lower end of the slot 76 in the lever 60 with the pin 78 carried by the link 80. The presence of the spring 72 in the connections causes the pressure exerted by this brush to be yieldable.

The bore in the upper portion of the shaft 24 is of greater diameter than that in the lower and has at the bottom, about the bore in the lower portion, a conical seat 90. Within the larger bore of the shaft 24 fits a valve-tube 92, through which the adhesive is delivered, and with a lower end corresponding in. taper to the seat 90, this end being closed save for openings 94 through the tapered surface. The valve-tube is movable vertically through a stuflling-box 96 to close the openings by contact with the seat or to free them for delivery. This is accomplished by a lever 98 fulcrumed upon the top of the head 12 and entering a groove in the valve-tube. Rising from the head-portion 20 is a rod 100 passing through an opening in the lever 98. A spring 102 surrounds the rod between the lever and an abutment member 104 upon said rod, and holds the valve normally closed. A weaker spring 106 about the rod beneath the lever maintains said lever in contact with the spring 102. Through an opening in the rear extremity of the lever extends a rod 108 carrying a portion 110 for engagement with the upper side of the lever. The rod 108, which may be adjustable at 112 as to length, is joined to the treadle 54, both the rod and treadle being normally raised by a spring 114, as appears in Fig. 1. Under such conditions, the sections of the clutch 52 are separated, the brushes 26 and 28 are at rest, the contact-portion 110 has left the lever 98, and the valve-openings 94 are closed by the action of the spring 102. When the treadle is depressed by the operator, the clutch is engaged to start the movement of the brushes, and the contact of the portion 110 upon the rod 108 swings up the irmer extremity of the lever 98, lifting the valve-tube 92. The openings 94 are thus carried away from the seat 90. In this last relation, the adhesive is to be delivered through the tube 92, the shaft 24 and the brush 28 for application to the work. For this purpose, there is joined to the tube 92 a. conduit 116, which may be partly flexible to provide for the reciprocation of the tube. This conduit leads to a pump 118 (Fig. 1), which may be of the gear type, operated from the shaft 42 and taking the adhesive from a receptacle 120.

To determine the distance of the coated area from the edge of each work-piece, agage is provided, this being shown as in the form of a roll 122 secured to a short vertical shaft 124 rotatable in the arm 14. The diameter of the roll and the location of its axis are such that when the edge of a work-piece contacts with its periphery, said piece is correctly positioned to receive the action of the applying brushes. The gage-roll may be caused to aid in the advance of the work beneath the brushes by rotating it in the direction of said advance. This is effected by bevel-gearing 126 joining the shaft 124 to a rotatable sleeve 128 surrounding the shaft 38 and forming a part of the work-feeding and supporting mechanism proper.

For the support of the work and its more positive feed to receive the application of the coating, there are mounted below the brushes outer and inner rotatable rolls 130 and 132, respectively. To give these rolls better engagement with the work, they may have a peripheral covering of rubber. The rollsare rotated continuously in opposite directions during the engagement of the clutch 52, the roll 130 being fast upon the end of the shaft 38, and the roll 132 secured to the sleeve 128. Rotation is imparted to the sleeve and its roll through a disk 134 fast upon said sleeve, this disk being driven frictionally by a roll 136 splined to a vertical shaft 138 journaled in the arm 14 and rotated by bevel-gearing 140 from the shaft 38. To vary the rate at which the roll 132 is turned, the relation of the roll 136 radially of the disk 134 is made adjustable. a grooved hub upon the roll being engaged by the forked extremity of a rod 142 which may be raised and lowered through the arm 14 and retained by a nut 144 threaded upon it. The roll 132, adjacent to the gage-roll 122 and to the periphery of the work-piece to be operated upon, is rotated in the same direction as said gageroll to feed the work forward, while the roll 130, contacting with the work nearer its center, rotates in the opposite direction to exert a turnin force which will tend to swing said work about a substantially vertical axis and at the same time to hold it against the gage-roll. By adjusting the position of the driving roll 136 toward or from the axis of the driven disk 134, the difference in the rate of rotation of the rolls 130 and 132 may be varied to increase or diminish the turning action. This adapts the apparatus for better operating upon work having portions curved about a relatively short radius, or that the curvature of which is upon a longer radius. By the travel of the work produced by the rolls and gage, the entire margin of a work-piece may be caused to receive the action of the brushes substantially without effort on the part of the operator. The rolls 130 and 132 are shown as frusto-conical in form, their peripheries converging outwardly. This will cause a work-piece having a reduced margin tapered toward the outer edge, as appears is Fig. 2, to be presented to the brushes with the upper surface to be coated in a substantially horizontal plane, and the roll 132, because of the greater peripheral speed of the inner portion, will assist the oppositely driven rolls in turning the work and maintaining it against the gage-roll. As the rolls 130 and 132 may receive some drip from the brushes, there is shown beneath them, formed upon the arm 14, a casing 143, this being connected at the bottom to the receptacle 120 by a flexible conduit 145. A yieldable scraper 146 is arranged to contact with the peripheries of both rolls and the adjacent portions of their outer sides to remove any received adhesive and direct it into the casing to be returned to the receptacle 120. A scraper 123 supported on the arm 14 engages the periphery of the gage roll 122 and deposits any cement which may be scraped off in this same casing 143.

It will be assumed that the work to be operated upon consists of shoe-soles S (Figs. 2, 6 and '1) which have skived margins s and which are to receive a band B of pyroxylin or other adhesive over a marginal portion. The surface over which this application is to occur will preferably have been roughened, so the fibers of the leather will be loosened and separated from one another to some extent, as is indicated in Fig. 'l. The brushes 26 and 28 are so chosen that the total diameter of the ends of their fibers is approximately equal to the width of the band B, and a gage-roll 122 is employed which will correctly locate the band with reference to the edge of the sole, this band being shown in Fig. 6 as separated somewhat from the edge at b. The receptacle 120 being supplied with the chosen adhesive, the operator places a sole upon the supporting rolls 130 and 132 against the gage-roll 122, and lowers the treadle 54. This simultaneously engages the clutch 52 and lifts the valve-tube 92. Power is thus applied to the apparatus by rotation of the shaft 48, and the pump 118 starts in operation, forcing the adhesive through the conduit 116, tube 92, openings 94 and shaft 24 into the inner brush-section 28. The rolls 130 and 132, which hold the upper face of the skived margin s substantially parallel to the horizontal plane of the ends ofthe brush-fibers, are now oppositely rotating, and the sole is fed forward and turned by them, being held, by their difierential rotation and by the inclination of the supporting surface, against the gage-roll. The latter, in its rotation, also acts to feed the work forward and to remove resistance which would be offered by its contact to the advance. The effect is to move the sole as far as the operator desires in the direction of extension of the band B without any directing effort on his part. The brushes 26 and 28 are in rotation, and the connections to the eccentric 68 cause them to be alternately raised and lowered many times during the treatment of a single sole, the ends of the fibers, first one and then the other, engaging the traveling sole. With the brush 28 raised and the brush 26 lowered, the adhesive is forced through the former and will gather within the latter, to be worked into the leather fibers ,f by the rotation of the inner brush. At the same time, the excess of the adhesive will be thrown out by centrifugal force beneath the elevated brush 28, as the positions are reversed.

The latter brush will, upon its descent, complete the applying operation across the desired band. The centrally delivered adhesive, having been now acted upon successively by two brushes exerting opposite forces, will be uniformly distributed, and there will be no substantial accumulation at the edges of the band B. During this action, the sole is traveling forward, and as the brushes rise from the work they tend to carry with them, in an approximately vertical direction, the leather fibers I, now coated with the adhesive. The effect of this is to raise these fibers from the surface of the sole, instead of leaving them matted down. They are therfore arranged to effectively intermesh with the fibers of the surface to which the sole is to be attached, as the bottom of a lasted shoe-upper. The bond is particularly secure if such opposite surface is coated by the same method. Because the eccentric 68 acts upon the brushes through the springs '70 and '72, said brushes will be yieldably urged against the work. The adjustment of the screws 74 and 84 alters the time of initiation of movement of the brushes and, therefore, the length of dwell in contact surface to be coated.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The method of applying a coating to articles, which consists in moving coating-applying members alternately in opposite directions intermittently into contact with a surface to be coated.

2. The method of applying a coating to articles, which consists in moving coating-applying members alternately ,in opposite directions and repeatedly into contact with the surface of an article to be coated, andicausing the applying members and the article to travel relatively to each other whereby a portion of an article is treated repeatedly by the same applying member.

3. The method of applying an adhesive coating to articles, which consists in moving coating-applying brushes alternately in opposite directions for intermittent end contact with adjacent surfaces to be coated.

4. The method of applying an adhesive to articles, which consists in coating a surface with the adhesive, and thereafter spreading said coating over a surface concentric therewith.

5. The method of applying an adhesive to articles, which-consists in coating a surface with the adhesive, thereafter spreading said coating over a surrounding surface, and causing the work to advance during the application of the coating.

with the.

6. The method of applying an adhesive to articles, which consists in brushing a coating of adhesive on a surface, and thereafter brushing, in a different direction, a coating of adhesive on another surface concentric therewith.

7. The method of applying a coating to articles, which consists in moving a rotatable coating-applying member and an article relatively axially of the applying member to bring an end of the applying member into and out of contact with the article, and simultaneously rotating said applying member.

8. The method of applying an adhesive to articles, which consists in supporting and feeding an article forward, at the same time moving a coating-applying member relative to the article successively into and out of contact therewith many times during the treatment of a single article, simultaneously rotating said applying member, and supplying adhesive to the member along its axis of rotation.

9. The method of applying an adhesive to shoeparts, which consists in moving two rotatable coating-applying members bodily into and out of contact alternately with the same surface of a shoe-part, and simultaneously rotating said members.

10. The method of applying an adhesive to shoe-parts, which consists in moving bodily two rotatable coating-applying members into and out of contact with a shoe-part, and simultaneously therewith rotating said members in opposite directions in contact with adjacent surfaces to be coated.

11. The method of applying an adhesive coating to surfaces having projecting fibers, which consists in rotating an applying member in contact with a surface to work the adhesive among the fibers, and successively at short intervals drawing the coated fibers away from the surface by moving the applying member into and out of contact with the surface.

12. The method of applying an adhesive coating to surfaces having projecting fibers, which consists in alternately working the adhesive among the fibers, and drawing the coated fibers away from the surface along an extended band.

13. The method of applying an adhesive coating to shoe-soles, which consists in roughening a surface to be coated to cause fibers to project therefrom, working the adhesive among the fibers along a band separated from the periphery of a sole by a marginal space, and drawing the coated fibers out substantially at right angles to the surface.

14. In a coating-applying apparatus, adjacent rotatable coating-applying members, and means for moving said members axially in opposite directions.

15. In a coating-applying apparatus, adjacent coating-applying members, and means .including yieldable connections for moving said members axially in opposite directions toward and away from the work.

16. In a coating-applying apparatus, adjacent coating-applying members, means for moving said members bodily in opposite directions toward and away from the work, and means arranged to vary the relative time of movement of the members.

17. In a coating-applying apparatus, inner and outer coaxial applying members arranged for successive action on the same surface, means for rotating the members independently of each other, and means for supplying a coating substance to the members.

18. In a coatingeapplying apparatus, concentric rotatable applying members, means for rotating said members in opposite directions in contact with the work, and means for supplying a coating substance axially of the members.

19. In a coating-applying apparatus, adjacent rotatable, coaxial coating-applying members, and means for moving said members in opposite directions both bodily toward and away from the work and while in contact with said work.

20. In a coating-applying apparatus, inner and outer rotatable applying members, means for rotating the members independently of each other, means for reciprocating said members axially, and means for supplying a coating substance to the members.

21. In a coating-applying apparatus, concentric applying members, means for reciprocating the members oppositely into and out of contact with the work, means for rotating said members in opposite directions in contact with the work, and means for supplying a coating substance to the members.

22. In a coating-applying apparatus, inner and outer applying members, means for reciprocating said members oppositely to move them alternately into contact with the work, and means for supplying a coating substance to the members.

23. In a coating-applying apparatus, a work support, a rotatable coating-applying member, means for moving the member axially into and out of contact with the work on the work support, and means for rotating said member while in contact with the work.

24. The combination with a work-engaging member, of a shaft, a brush carried by the shaft and co-operating with the member, means to reciprocate the shaft, and means for rotating the shaft.

25. The combination of a work-engaging member, of a tubular shaft, a brush carried by the shaft and co-operating with the member, means for reciprocating the shaft, means for rotating the shaft, and means for supplying an adhesive to the brush through the shaft.

26. The combination with a work engaging member, of an inner shaft, a shaft surrounding the inner shaft, a brush carried by each shaft and co-operating with the member, means for moving the shafts relatively to each other, and means for supplying an adhesive to the brushes through the inner shaft.

27. The combination with a work-engaging member, of an inner shaft, a shaft surrounding the inner shaft, a brush carried by each shaft and co-operating with the member, means for rotating the shafts in opposite directions, and means for supplying an adhesive to the brushes through the inner shaft.

'28. The combination with a work-engaging member, of an inner shaft, a shaft surrounding the inner shaft, a brush carried by each shaft and co-operating with the member, means for reciprocating the shafts in opposite directions, and means for supplying an adhesive to the brushes through the inner shaft.

29. The combination with a work-engaging member, of an inner shaft, a shaft surrounding the inner shaft, a brush carried by each shaft and co-operating with the member, means for rotating the shafts in opposite directions, means for reciprocating the shafts in opposite directions, and means for supplying an adhesive to the brushes through the inner shaft.

30. The combination with a frame, of a worksupport carried thereby, a shaft journaled in the frame and movable longitudinally, an adhesiveapplying member carried by the shaft and cooperating with the support, means for rotating the shaft, a lever fulcrumed upon the frame and engaging the shaft, and means for oscillating the lever.

31. The combination with a frame, of a worksupport carried thereby, a shaft journaled in the frame and movable longitudinally, an adhesive applying member carried by the shaft and cooperating with the support, means for rotating the shaft, a lever fulcrumed upon the frame and engaging the shaft, means for oscillating the lever, and yieldable connections included between the oscillating means and shaft.

32. The combination with a frame, of a worksupport carried thereby, a tubular shaft journaled in the frame and movable longitudinally, an adhesive-applying member carried by the shaft and co-operating with the support, means for supplying an adhesive through the shaft to the applying member, means for rotating the shaft, a lever fulcrumed upon the frame and engaging the shaft, and means for oscillating the lever.

33. The combination with a frame, of a worksupport carried thereby, an inner shaft journaled in the frame, an outer shaft surrounding the inner shaft, an adhesive-applying member carried by each shaft and co-operating with the work-support, and means for rotating the inner shaft in one direction and the outer shaft in the opposite direction.

34. The combination with a frame, of a worksupport carried thereby, an inner shaft supported in the frame, an outer shaft surrounding the inner shaft, both shafts being movable longi-,- tudinally, an adhesive-applying member carried by each shaft and co-operating with the worksupport, a lever fulcrumed upon the frame and engaging one of the shafts, means for oscillating the lever, a second lever fulcrumed upon the frame and engaging the other shaft, and actuating connections between the two levers.

35. The combination with a frame, of a worksupport carried thereby, an inner shaft supported in the frame, an outer shaft surrounding the inner shaft, both shafts being movable longitudinally, an adhesive-applying member carried by each shaft and co-operating with the work-support, a lever fulcrumed upon the frame and engaging one of the shafts, means for oscillating the lever, a second lever fulcrumed upon the frame and en gaging the other shaft, actuating connections between the two levers, and means arranged to vary the time of action of the connections upon the shafts.

36.. The combination with a frame, of a worksupport carried thereby, an inner shaft supported in the frame, an outer shaft surrounding the inner shaft, both shafts being movable longitudinally, an adhesive-applying member carried by each shaft and co-operating with the worksupport, a lever fulcrumed upon the frame and engaging one of the shafts, means for oscillating the lever, springs interposed between said means and the lever, a second lever fulcrumed upon the frame and engaging the other shaft, and actuating connections between the two levers.

37. The combination with a frame, of a tubular spindle movable therein and being provided in its interior with a seat, a brush carried by the spindle, a valve-tube coaxial with the spindle and movable into and out of cooperation with the seat, and means for supplying an adhesive to the brush through the valve-tube.

38. The combination with a frame, of a tubular spindle movable therein, means for rotating and reciprocating the spindle, a brush carried by the spindle, means for supplying an adhesive to the brush through the spindle, a valve movable in the spindle and controlling the supply of the adhesive to the brush, and means arranged to simultaneously operate the valve and govern the movement of the spindle.

39. In a coating-applying apparatus, a worksupport, inner and outer concentric brushes, and means for alternately moving the brushes into contact with the work upon the support.

40. In a coating-applying apparatus, a worksupport, inner and outer concentric brushes, means for alternately moving the brushes into contact with the work upon the support, and means for rotating the brushes.

41. In a coating-applying apparatus, a worksupport, inner and outer concentric brushes, means for alternately moving the brushes into contact with the work upon the support, and means for rotating the brushes in opposite directions.

42. In a coating-applying apparatus, a worksupport, inner and outer concentric brushes, means for alternately moving the brushes into contact with the work upon the support, and means for supplying a coating substance along the axis of the inner brush.

43. In a coating-applying apparatus, a worksupport, inner and outer concentric brushes. means for moving the brushes, and a retaining member for the brush-fibers variable in position along the outer brush.

ARTHUR S. JOHNSON. 

